The Haunting of Sunshine Girl by Alyssa Sheinmel, Paige McKenzie

The Haunting of Sunshine Girl (Haunting of Sunshine Girl, #1) (Sunshine Girl)

by Alyssa Sheinmel and Paige McKenzie

A New York Times bestseller Shortly after her sixteenth birthday, Sunshine Griffith and her mother Kat move from sunny Austin, Texas, to the rain-drenched town of Ridgemont, Washington. Though Sunshine is adopted, she and her mother have always been close, sharing a special bond filled with laughter and inside jokes. But from the moment they arrive, Sunshine feels her world darken with an eeriness she cannot place. And even if Kat doesn't recognize it, Sunshine knows that something about their new house is just ... creepy. In the days that follow, things only get stranger. Sunshine is followed around the house by an icy breeze, phantom wind slams her bedroom door shut, and eventually, the laughter Sunshine hears on her first night evolves into sobs. She can hardly believe it, but as the spirits haunting her house become more frightening,and it becomes clear that Kat is in danger,Sunshine must accept what she is, pass the test before her, and save her mother from a fate worse than death.

Reviewed by lindsey on

5 of 5 stars

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(I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.)

I recently complained that it's been a while since I've read a really good book that I just couldn't put down. I'm not sure if I was just in a reading slump, or if I just had unfortunate luck in the books I was choosing to read. But The Haunting of Sunshine Girl definitely changed that. I honestly did not want to put it down. I made the mistake of starting it during one of my breaks at work, and it was so hard to stop reading. I continued reading it at lunch, and then could not wait until I got home so I could finish it. I managed to read the entire book in just one day, and it has been such a long time since that has happened.

It wasn't a perfect book, but there was just something about it that made me love it. I was captivated from the very beginning, and I was never left feeling bored.

The Haunting of Sunshine Girl is about a girl, Sunshine, and her mother, Kat. They move from warm and sunny Texas to cold and rainy Washington state, and Sunshine isn't too thrilled with her new surroundings. She stays cold all the time and the house smells like mildew, even though her mother doesn't seem to notice. Not to mention the footsteps she hears upstairs or the ghostly laughter of a child. She thinks the house is haunted, but her mother doesn't believe her. As a matter of fact, her mother seems to be growing distant and aloof, despite the fact that she and Sunshine have always been extremely close.

I am not a fan of scary movies or books at all - I'm a scaredy-cat, I admit it - but this book had just the right amount of creepy without being scary. It was intriguing and spooky, and while I had some things figured out before the end, I was still on the edge of my seat until I finished.

It was well-written, with nice character development and good pacing. Apparently this was based on a YouTube series, but I've never watched the videos, and I don't feel like I missed out on anything by skipping them.

And quite possibly my favorite part of the book - no love triangle! Finally! A story about a girl and a guy that doesn't revolve around them falling in love instantly, and then introducing a second love interest for the heroine. This is one of the most believable relationships I've read recently, because they're actually just friends to start with, and the focus isn't on "will they or won't they fall in love?" It's secondary to the plot, and progresses naturally.

This is definitely a series that I will look forward to finishing. I don't want to wait for the second book! I would highly recommend this, especially to readers who enjoy a bit of paranormal mystery without it going over the top.

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  • Started reading
  • 12 January, 2015: Finished reading
  • 12 January, 2015: Reviewed